Synopsis

Victoria Boutenko responds to the crisis of childhood obesity with a story that makes children excited about nutrition, healthy foods, vegetables and fruits, green smoothies, and the science of plants.

This kids' book follows young Nic as he discovers the importance of healthy eating with a plant-rich diet and learns to invent his own healthy recipes for kids.

With a pilot father and an artist mother, Nic is an inquisitive child with a fondness for magic. One day, he asks his father where trees come from and is amazed to learn they come from small acorn seeds that grow powered by the sun. His father tells him about the magical green juice, chlorophyll, in all plants. Since humans can't grow with sunlight alone and we don't make our own magical green juice, we need to eat plants to grow big and strong like the oak trees Nic is so fascinated by.

Eager to grow big and strong, Nic goes home that night determined to eat more vegetables. He's quickly disheartened when he is put off by the bitter taste of lettuce. But his mother thinks of a way to ensure he can have a tasty, healthy diet. Buying a blender the next day, she whips up some raw-food green smoothie magic. Nic is hesitant at first, but his natural curiosity wins out, and he is soon asking for seconds.

The story ends with Nic's own smoothie recipe. Combining sweet fruits with green vegetables, this kids' food recipe promises to be a favorite with children and picky eaters everywhere.

Victoria Boutenko

About Victoria Boutenko

Victoria Boutenko lives in Ashland, Oregon. She is the author of Green For Life, Raw Family, 12 Steps to Raw Foods, and several raw recipe books. She teaches classes on raw food all over the world, and is an adjunct professor at Southern Oregon University. As a result of her teachings, many raw food communities have formed in numerous countries. She continues traveling worldwide sharing her gourmet raw cuisine and her inspiring story of change, faith, and determination.

Boutenko’s Green For Life was nominated as a finalist in health and medicine for the Independent Publisher’s Award (IPPY) in 2006. She has published a monthly newsletter since 2003 on her website www.rawfamily.com. Boutenko contributes regularly to a number of periodic publications including Get Fresh, Just Eat an Apple, Alive, Natuurstemmingen, Neva, Die Wurzel, Naturaleza Cruda, and many others. She is a leader in the raw food movement and her works are recognized as having a profound impact on the development of raw food communities across the globe. Boutenko’s work is referenced in numerous books on the subject, and her books have been translated into nine languages. She has been a keynote speaker at a number of international expositions in Germany, England, Brazil, Canada, Belgium, Iceland, Holland, Jamaica, Spain, France, and the United States.

Praise

Praise

“56 fully color-illustrated pages about plant magic was easily digestible to my chapter-book-reading vegan daughter. I left it on the kitchen table, knowing she’d see it. Presto! She read it in one sitting over breakfast and when I asked her what she thought, she said ‘Three stars. [out of three] And I want to make the recipe in the back.’ Score! This book is a winner ... especially since it interests her in eating green.” —Huyen Macmichael, reviewer for VegBooks.org

“Green Smoothie Magic is a captivating story of an adventurous boy who learns how to be healthy in an enjoyable way. … Positive and empowering” —Evolving Wellness

“[Green Smoothie Magic is] a wonderful kids book that serves as a response to the crisis of childhood obesity with a story that makes children excited about nutrition and healthy foods. … What I loved [about the story] is how making the smoothie involved the entire family and showed the importance of getting kids involved in making their own food.” —Michelle Carr, blogger at Until Every Cage